Sealed package



July 2, 1940.

J. J. PAHLS ET AL SEALED PACKAGE Filed Jan 12, 1935 I r INVENTORS (JD/[ lk]: fl/Z/J'a Adal afi (LI Tamm M ATTORNEY.

Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEALED PACKAGE tion of New York Application January 12, 1935, Serial No. 1,460

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to sealed packages, and more particularly to an applicator package and the parts thereof.

Various products, such as perfume, iodine, mercurochrome, medicinal preparations, and the like, are preferably applied in small quantities by a suitable applicator device which may be combined with the sealing cap. A popular construction comprises a glass applicator rod attached to a closure cap or stopper so that the consumer can use the cap or stopper as a handle for the rod when applying the product. Such a construction is objectionable because frequently the applicator rods work loose from the cap and are lost. Another difiiculty is that the glass rods break and fall into the product, thus rendering the product unsafe for further use. Also, the cost of the rods and the cost of securing them to the caps substantially increases the cost of the package. Attempts have been made to eliminate the use of applicator rods by packing the product in bottles having a relatively small opening which permits the product to be applied directly from the bottle, but these attempts have been unsuccessful because such bottles are difficult to make and must be filled by special machinery.

The present'invention aims to overcome the above objections by providing an applicator member adapted to be attached to the container for applying the product directly in small quantities, and further aims to provide a closure cap adapted .to cooperate with the applicator member to seal the package.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple inexpensive applicator package.

Another object of the invention is to provide an applicator package for applying the product directly from the container in small quantities.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the use of applicator rods.

Another object of the invention is to provide an applicator package which, when opened, may be upset accidentally without spilling the contents.

Another object of the invention is to provide an applicator container adapted to be filled and sealed quickly and conveniently without the use of special machinery.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container with an applicator member which also serves as a sealing member.

-Another object of the invention is to provide an applicator package made of durable parts not subject to corrosion or breakage.

Another object of the invention is to provide an applicator member which may be applied to various shapes and types of bottles. I

A further object of the invention is to reduce the cost of assembling the parts of applicator been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein Fig. l is an exploded perspective view, of ferred embodiment of the invention;

a pre} Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a sealed applicator 7 package;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the product in the package being applied directly to the wound; a

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View showing another embodiment of the invention; and,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View of still another embodiment of the invention.

Referring again to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a container I having a body 2 and aneck 4. The neck preferably is provided with screw threads 5 or other means for engaging threads on a closure cap adapted to be sealed on the container, and

is provided at its upper end with a rim 6 extends ing about the opening or mouth I of the container. If desired, a bead or shoulderii may be provided beneath the threads 5 to improve th appearance of the package. 3

In order to provide a simple and inexpensive means for dispensing the product, a suitable applicator member l0, preferably made of noncorrosive material, for example, sanitary rubber, is attached to the container. member preferably comprises a tubular or cylindrical part I I adapted to be forcibly inserted into the neck opening I of the container to attach it thereto, and a flange portion 52 adapted to lie The applicator over and engage the rim 6 of the container. The

be more securely engaged. A suitable aperture having a relatively small diameter or a capillary opening I4 is provided at the top of the applicator member for dispensing the product from the container drop by drop as described hereinafter, or in small quantities by direct contact with a wound. The opening I4 is enlarged at its lower end and tapers downwardly and outwardly to form a substantially cone-shaped recess I5 for passage of the product from the container to the aperture I4. By reason of the small aperture I4 the product may be ejected drop by drop by tapping or shaking the container. If the top of the insert is rubbed gently against a surface or wound, as illustrated in Fig. 3, a thin film of the contents will be applied. The aperture is preferably too small to permit the contents to flow out when the container is inverted or upset accidentally. The insert l may also be utilized to provide a shaker top for dispensing hair tonics and the like by enlarging the aperture I l therein.

A closure cap I'E, preferably molded of a phenolic condensation product or the like, is provided for sealing the container. If desired, the cap may also be made of other material such as tin plate or lead alloys commonly used for collapsible tubes and the like. The cap may comprise a cover portion I7 and a depending skirt l9 having threads 29 for engaging the threads of the container or may be provided with other suitable means for attaching it to the container. When the cap is screwed on the container, the underside of the cover part engages the flange portion I2 of the applicator member and presses the flange downwardly against the rim 6 to seal the package.

In order to close the aperture M in the applicator member ID, the underside of the cover part I! of the cap is provided with a downwardly depending projection or plug shaped portion 2| adapted to fit into the aperture 14. Preferably, the diameter of the projection 2| is slightly greater than the diameter of the aperture to securely seal the aperture, and the free end 22 of the projection is tapered or rounded to facilitate insertion of the projection into the aperture when the cap is applied. In addition, to sealing the aperture M, the projection 2| prevents clogging of the aperture and assures uniform application of the contents at all times. The plug 2| preferably is molded or formed integral with the cover part of the cap to reduce the cost and simplify the manufacture of the device, but in some instances, it may be desirable to separately attach a plug member to the I cap.

In Fig. 4 another embodiment of the invention is shown wherein a suitable disc 25 of Cellophane, rubber or the like is cemented or otherwise secured to the rim 6 of the container and a dispensing aperture 26 is formed at the center of the disc. This construction reduces the cost of the packing and minimizes the labor required in filling and sealing the bottle.

In Fig. a cap 38 is shown made of sheet metal such as aluminum coated tin plate or the like. Suitable threads 3| are provided in the skirt for engaging corresponding threads on the container and a bead or wire edge 32 is formed at the lower edge of the skirt to conceal the raw edge of metal. The cover part of the cap is provided with downwardly depending projection 33 adapted to extend into and seal the aperture [4 of the dispensing member ID. The projection may readily be formed in the cover part of the cap during manufacture thereof by any suitable punching or drawing operation without increasing the cost of the cap or the amount of metal required to make the cap. If desired, an annular downwardly depending sealing rib 34 may be provided in the cover part for engaging the flange I2 of the dispensing member I0 to press it against the rim whereby a secure seal is formed between the cap and the container. Caps made of metal may be more desirable in some instances since they are less expensive than molded caps and can be readily manufactured by automatic machinery.

An important advantage of the present invention is that all the parts of the package can be made by existing machinery, for example, standard containers may be utilized while the caps can be molded or rolled in any conventional manner. The applicator member H3 or the disc 25 may also be formed inexpensively from rubber or other suitable material adapted to provide a seal. The packages preferably are provided by filling the containers with the product, inserting or attaching the dispensing members to the containers, and thereafter applying the closure caps. These operations may be readily performed manually or by automatic machinery.

In using the package, the cap is first unscrewed from the container to withdraw the sealing projection from the dispensing aperture M. The bottle is then inverted and may be tapped lightly to eject the product through the aperture drop by drop. The product may also be dispensed by pressing the applicator member against the part to which the product is to be applied so that capillary action or adhesion causes the product to flow out in a thin film. If the package is upset accidentally while the cap is removed, only a drop or two of the product is spilled. This is an important advantage since the entire contents would be lost from packages having the usual mouth opening. The insert It) may also be utilized to provide a shaker top for dispensing hair tonics and the like by enlarging the aperture l4 therein.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a simple inexpensive applicator package made of a minimum number of parts, which are readily assembled. Since the sealing projection is preferably formed integral with the cap, no additional assembling operation is required. The small opening permits the product to be economically applied directly from the container in small quantities.- Also, if the bottle is upset accidentally, the contents will not be spilled thus eliminating the danger of damaging the consumers clothing. The closure cap cooperates with the dispensing member to provide a secure seal without the use of additional sealing members and in addition prevents the dispensing aperture from clogging. The parts of the package are rugged in construction and can readily withstand any rough usage to which they may be subjected.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A sealed package comprising, in combination, a container having a rim and screw threads below the rim, a substantially flat resilient disc adhered to said rim having a relatively small aperture therein for dispensing the contents of the package drop by drop, and a closure cap having a skirt provided with screw threads for engaging the screw threads of the container and having a cover portion adapted to engage and compress the disc to seal the package, said cap having a projection on the underside of said cover portion adapted to extend into said aperture to seal said aperture. y

2. A sealed packagc'comprising, in combination, a container having a screw thread, a resilient member secured to said container, said member having a portion fitting against the rim of said container and having a duct extending longitudinally therethrough, the upper end of said duct being of capillary dimensions for a short portion only thereof, said portion with the capillary dimensions terminating flush with the upper end of said resilient member to facilitate application of the contents to a wound by direct contact of the upper end of the resilient member therewith, the portion of the duct below said capillary end being larger to form a cavity to facilitate the flow of the fluid to the capillary end, and a screw closure cap having a substantially cylindrical projection forced into the capillary end of the duct to seal the package.

3. In a sealed package, the combination of a container having a rim at the mouth thereof and screw threads below the rim, a rubber dispensing member frictionally fitted into the mouth of the container and having a flange portion adapted to overlie and engage the rim to seal said container at the rim and having a substantially smooth upper surface provided with an aperture extending through said member for dispensing the contents of said container in small quantities, the aperture being of capillary dimensions at the smooth surface and being larger at the bottom of said member to expedite the flow of the contents to the top of the aperture and to facilitate application of the contents to the wound by direct contact of the smooth upper surfa e therewith, and a closure cap having a cover part provided with a downwardly depending projection on the underside thereof adapted to be forced into the aperture and having a skirt provided with screw threads for engaging the screw threads of said container, the underside of the cover part being adapted to engage and force the flange of said resilient member overlying the rim of the container into sealing engagement with the rim of the container.

4:. A sealed package comprising in combination a threaded container having an opening larger than desired for dispensing purposes and a rim surrounding the opening, a resilient member having a substantially cylindrical portion fitting into said opening and having an integral flange portion engaging said rim to provide a gasket for sealing the container, said member having an aperture therein for dispensing the contents of the container drop by drop, and a closure cap having a cover portion provided with a depending projection on the underside thereof. and having 21, depending skirt provided with threads for engaging the threads of the container, said projection fitting into said aperture and the underside of said cover portion engaging the flange portion of said member to seal the container.

5. A sealed package comprising, in combination, a container having a screw thread, a resilient member secured to said container, said member having a portion fitting against the rim of said container and having a duct extending longitudinally therethrough, the upper end of said duct being of capillary dimensions for a short portion only thereof, said portion with the capillary dimensions terminating flush with the upper end of said resilient member to facilitate application of the contents to a wound by direct contact of the upper end of the resilient member therewith, the portion of the duct below said capillary end being larger to form a cavity to facilitate the flow of the fluid to the capillary end, and a screw closure threaded on the container to seal the package.

JOHN J. PAI-ILS. ADOLPH C. J. TAMlVI. 

